Monday, 10 November 2014

The Christmas Boutique - Ornaments Review

Are you guys excited for Christmas yet? I feel like, now Halloween is out of the way, we can finally start looking forward to the happiest time of the year.

Confession - I didn't used to even like Christmas. But that was before Seb - who's a massive kid at this time of the year - converted me. And he converted me by showing me the fun in the holiday and building a series of little rituals that we do in the run up, from going on frosty walks with Christmas coffees to fetching the tree and baking boozy mince pies.

One of the most important of the rituals, of course, is decorating our home and our tree. Each year we have a little competition to try and find the best tree ornaments. We have to outdo each other! And this year, I might have won, thanks to a great online shop called The Christmas Boutique.

I've been lucky enough to get a parcel of their great ornaments and Christmas decorations to try, and I've been waiting to share them with you - because now the time is right to get stocking up on these, to make your home festive and beautiful or to give as gifts.

Now, when was the last time you changed up your ornaments? Do you keep using the same old tired decorations every year? I like to keep my favourites and change it up every so often with some new items. Or, if you're moving to a new place, now might be the time to find those future favourites.

Large Wooden Snowflake Ornaments

£7.99 each

Aren't these just beautiful? I love wooden decorations, they're so tasteful and they give a really nice, rustic, Scandinavia vibe to your tree.

These combine white painted and limed wood, which gives a pretty depth that makes the intricate outlines pop. And wouldn't these look great combined with white and silver round baubles?

But the best part? These are covered with tiny silver sleigh bells! So they make Christmassy jingling noises when you move them. Gorgeous! Pick some up here.

Ceramic Bird Ornaments

£9.99 for a set of three

Absolutely love these! They're so charming and full of character. One of the best things about winter time is spotting the Robin Red Breasts hopping around - and there's something so British and iconic about them.

If you want your tree to have a natural theme then these would be ideal. I really like how they're printed onto ceramic, which is very elegant.

You get the robin, a bluetit and a house sparrow in the set. These are such a pretty addition to the tree but they'd also work great as garden ornaments all year round because they are really durable.

White Honeycomb Paper Christmas Trees

£6.99 for a set of three

They come flat-packed and you fan them out to make the little tree shape. These would look really great on a mantel piece as well, because they are free standing or hanging down the banisters to jazz them up.

Also, you could let kids decorate them individually with glitter glue, Christmas tape and markers, then you'd have something to treasure from them. Pick them up here.

Extra Long Tower House Felt Advent Calendar with Fabric Pockets

£12.99

I was sooooo excited when this came out of the box, Seb and I were jumping up and down. Yes, we still do advent calendars each year (no, you cannot be too old for an advent calendar - its all part of the fun!) but we've never seen one as good as this! Firstly, its just massive - you can see it easily fills a whole doorway!

Its beautifully made as well, with individual patterned fabrics making up all the little pockets. I love the idea of choosing what you fill it with, from little sweets to beauty treats or even little collectible toys for children.

That way you can make it really personal and lovely. Such a beautiful thing to give to a kid - or even big kids like me and Seb! Get it here.

Laser Cut Wooden Carousel Ornament

£5.99

This item is really special and we were immeadiately ooh-ing and ahh-ing over it. Its so delicate and pretty - the perfect centrepiece for a Christmas dining table or a mantelpiece. How gorgeous is that?
Inside are little cut-outs of a Christmas tree, a snowman and an elf. Then the outside is a delicately cut arch. The best part?

This rotates round, which makes it so special, charming and unique. I can see this being the kind of heirloom ornament that you have fond childhood memories of seeing at Grandma's house that then gets handed down through the generations - there's definitely something timeless about decorations like this.

You can get this in three different designs - Snowmen, Angels or Carol Singers, so you could collect all three for a pretty display. Its really nice to see something a bit different, we loved this. Find it here.

Mr & Mrs Holiday Frog Glass Baubles

£6.99 for set of two

And if you like something a bit more cheeky and humorous to grace your tree, what about these cute little frog ornaments?

They're very glittery and eye-catching, but also made delicately out of painted glass.

These would make a great stocking filler because they're unique and will inject some personality and fun into your celebrations, for sure! Take them home here.

All of these ornaments are great quality and so beautifully made. They'd really give your home a touch of festive atmosphere, and the prices are great too. The beauty of shopping for them online is that you don't have to worry about dragging them all home either - simply click and wait for them to come and spice up your Christmas decorating. Visit The Christmas Boutique to see more of their wide range.